RT Journal
A1 Larson EB
T1 ALzheimer's disease in the community
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 1989
FD November 10
VO 262
IS 18
SP 2591
OP 2592
DO 10.1001/jama.1989.03430180133043
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1989.03430180133043
AB In 1907, when Alois Alzheimer published his original description of the disease now known as "Alzheimer's disease," he described a 51-year-old woman whose "entire behavior bore the stamp of utter perplexity."1 The generalized dementia progressed for 4 1/2 years, and she was eventually bedridden and completely unable to care for herself. Pathological study demonstrated the characteristic senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.The traditional distinction between early-onset and lateonset Alzheimer's disease can be traced, in my judgment, to the epidemiologic observation that Alzheimer's disease in persons younger than 60 years is rare whereas it is one the most common conditions seen in older patients.2 Just how common is a matter of some contention, but the dramatic increase seen in individuals more than 80 years of age has been a consistent observation since the epidemiology of "clinically diagnosed" (ie, antemortem) Alzheimer's disease was first studied in England and Sweden in